Attachment for headlights



oct. 1o, 1939. E SLEZMSKY El. AL 2,175,766

ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed Aug. 7, 1936 FRA/w( L. sLfz//vs/fr mvv/N E ELDER Bumm/q Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frank L. Slezinsky and Irvin F. Elder, Kingsville, Tex.

Application August 7, 1936, Serial No. 94,856

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an attachment for vehicle and locomotive lamps and the like, and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and efficient shield which may be quickly and easily attached around the base of a light bulb in a manner to support in front of the light bulb an initially circular parabolic shaped re- Ilector having a crescent shaped sector or portion cut out from its lower portion and providing the shield with depending downwardly tapered side portions and an upwardly curved arcuate lower edge between the same, whereby light rays from the lamp bulb and the reector of a lamp will clearly illuminate a road in front of and at opposite sides of a vehicle but' a glaring headlight will be prevented.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and eicient shield and V`means for supporting the same in iront of and in spaced relation to a light bulb of a lamp of a reflecting type in such position that the light rays will be prevented from blinding the driver of an approaching vehicle, or a pedestrian.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a lamp casing showing the shield in position upon the lamp bulb;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a lamp bulb, showing the improved shield secured thereto;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the shield;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan View of the shield applied to a bulb;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the path of the rays of light cast by the lamp utilizing the improved shield;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary iront elevation of an automobile showing the headlights provided with improved shield;

Figure 8 is a sectional perspective view of the inner end of the shield holder.

For the purpose of illustration, we have shown a conventional type of automobile lamp within which is mounted the conventional lighting bulb and upon which is secured our improved shield. By referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that L designates the lamp which is provided with a conventional reiector R and a conventional lens A. A conventional bulb B is mounted in a conventional manner within the lamp adjacent the reflector R, and the bulb- B is provided with a suitable base C.

Our improved shield comprises a concavo-convex or parabolic shaped reector I Il which may be formed of any suitable or desired metal, such as tin, aluminum, or chromium, and may if it is desired be highly polished or provided with a relecting rear or inner face. The lower portion of the reiiector I0 has a portion cut therefrom to provide an upwardly curved arcuate lower edge II between depending downward tapered side portions II a of the shield. A plurality of spring arms I2 are secured in any suitable or desired manner to the convex or inner face of the re- -ector IIJ, these spring arms being bowed outwardly intermediate their ends and also being drawn inwardly toward each other at their rear ends, the inner or rear ends of the spring arms I2 being secured to an anchoring yoke I3, these arms I2 being secured to the yoke in any suitable or desired manner. The yoke I3 is provided with a pair of spaced arms I4 and I5 at its lower end, the arm I4 having an eye I6 'to which is secured a coil spring II carrying a hook I8 at its opposite end for tting over the diverging arm I5 of the yoke whereby the yoke may be tightly held around the base C of the bulb or incandescent bulb B. It will be seen that this structure will greatly facilitate the attaching and supporting of the shade or shield upon the lamp bulb B, and due to the fact that the arm I 5 diverges outwardly, the hook I8 of the spring I'I will at all times rmly engage the arm and will not have a tendency to slip off due to the continuous tension of the spring I 'I, the tension of the spring I 'I tending to pull the hook I8 upwardly upon the arm I5.

As is shown clearly in Figures l, 3 and 5, the shield I0 will be supported in spaced relation to the outer end of the bulb B a suiiicient distance to provide a proper reflecting m-edium and to prevent the direct rays from the lamp bulb from being directed upwardly through the upper portion of the lens A of the lamp L. The cut-away lower portion, however, will allow the rays to be cast with the full intensity of the central portion of the reector R through the lower portion -of the lens A and forwardly along the road directly in front of a vehicle.

Other rays from the centralportion of the reflector R will be directed towards sides of the road over a wide lateral area to light up clearly objects on the side of the road and also to allow the driver oi the Vehicle to 4easily follow the edge of the road. Still other rays reflected forwardly by the reflector R outside of what is known as the bulls-eye will be directed forwardly for a long distance but as the shield is located in front of the bulb a glaring light will be prevented.

By referring to Figures 6 and '7 it will be seen that the shield Il) will constitute a crescentshaped shield disposed in front of the bulb in such position that it will cast a shadow forwardly to prevent a glaring light, but at the same time allow suicient light rays to pass forwardly under and around it to brightly illuminate the road in front of and at sides of a vehicle. Due to the arrangement of the shield in spaced relation to the front end of the bulb and the fact that the shield is formed with the depending ta pered side portions Ila and an upwardly bowed arcuate lower edge, penetrating light rays will be directed forwardly at no greater height than waist height by the bulls-eye portion of the reflector R and also towards sides of the road while at opposite sides of the forwardly directed bright rays there will be other rays which will effectively illuminate the road but are not blinding as they are outside the bulls-eye area of the reector. The dark areas shown in Figure 6 between the last mentioned rays and the bright rays directed towards sides of the roads are shadows produced by the tapered side portions of the shield. It will thus be seen that due to its special shape the shield will permit a road to be well lighted in front of and at sides of a vehicle but the shield will cast shadows which will prevent a person from being blinded by a glaring light.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a very simple and eicient device has been produced in the nature of an attachment for lamps, particularly lamps of the headlight type used upon highway motor vehicles, electric and steam locomotives, and the like. The particular structure described and illustrated will project, and control the light produced by the lamp, and the parabolic shaped shield having a lower segmental crescent removed therefrom will provide an eiiicient means for blocking certain of the upwardly directed rays and tend to cause these rays to be thrown back upon the main reflector from which they will rebound and be directed upon the road at points where the light is mostly needed. Furthermore, the certain rays will be thrown at sides of an automobile to increase the iield of vision laterally. Furthermore, the present device will serve effectively to apprise pedes trians, drivers of other cars, and other persons upon or near the highway or track, of the approach of the vehicle or locomotive so equipped, and will sharply and clearly define the roadway or right-of-way and any object or obstacle thereon. At the same time the shield will provide means for shielding the rays of light from the eyes of an approaching driver or pedestrian, since these rays will not be reected directly into the eyes of the person approaching upon or near the highway or right-of-way.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall within the scope oi the appended claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

In a headlight, the combination with the light bulb thereof, an anti-glare device comprising a shield having an arcuate lower edge, a resilient yoke adapted to engage the base of the bulb, and having diverging terminals, a spring having one end pivotally connected with one terminal and its other end provided with a hook adapted to detachably and slidably engage the other terminal, a plurality of resilient arms having their forward ends xed to the shield and their rear ends fixed to the yoke, said arms being disposed in triangular relationship, two of said arms being adapted to engage upon opposite sides of the bulb below the longitudinal axis thereof, and a third arm being adapted to engage the top thereof to hold the shield spaced from the forward end of the bulb and against lateral and vertical displacement whereby the highest point of the arcuate edge will be at all times held below the lament of the bulb.

invention, what is FRANK L. SLEZINSKY. IRVIN F. ELDER. 

